Breakdown of Нам было интересно взойти на гору, которую мы видели вчера.
мы
we
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
видеть
to see
вчера
yesterday
Questions & Answers about Нам было интересно взойти на гору, которую мы видели вчера.
Why is the prefix here взо- instead of just вз- or вс-?
The base verb is идти (to go on foot), which changes to -йти when a prefix is added. To make the word easier to pronounce and avoid a messy consonant cluster, an -о- is inserted between the prefix and the root, giving us взойти (to go up or to ascend).
Why use the perfective verb взойти rather than the imperfective всходить?
The speakers are talking about a single, completed action: successfully reaching the top of this specific mountain. The imperfective всходить would focus on the ongoing process of climbing or a repeated habit.
Why does the sentence start with нам instead of мы?
In Russian, expressing how someone feels or experiences a state (like being interested, cold, or sad) often uses an impersonal structure. The person experiencing the feeling is put in the Dative case (нам), followed by the state word (интересно). Literally, it translates to 'to us it was interesting'.
Why is the word for 'which' (которую) in the accusative case?
Которую takes its gender and number (feminine singular) from the noun it refers to (гору), but its case is determined by its job in the second half of the sentence. Since it is the direct object of what we saw (мы видели), it must be in the accusative case.